i-hamptons Hosts Panel for Innovators and Entrepreneurs on the East End

Last week, the Hamptons was abuzz with ideas as i-hamptons hosted its second successful event for innovators and entrepreneurs on the East End.

As the sun was setting on yet another warm sunny Hamptons evening, the Silicon Valley Bank-sponsored event was attended by over 80 i-hamptons members including local entrepreneurs, thought leaders and investors from the East End who enjoyed networking, cocktails, hors d’oeuvres and a panel discussion at Southampton Social Club.

“I was delighted to see we could bring together so many innovators and entrepreneurs in such a short period of time,” said Ashley John Heather, founder of i-hamptons. “We now have over 400 local members and are still growing strong. This event was focused on helping those of our members starting an early stage business and need to figure out how to fund it.”

After an hour of networking over delicious food and drinks, Heather moderated a prestigious panel of investment experts which included Mickey Swift, VP Corporate Finance, Silicon Valley Bank; Joshua Siegel, General Partner of Rubicon Venture Capital; Andy Brindle, local angel investor; and Terry Romero, formerly of Kickstarter.

“i-hamptons has provided me with a network, resources and knowledge that I otherwise would not have been able to get locally. In short, it has accelerated my career as an entrepreneur. What I learned at the last event could not have been more applicable to where I am now professionally. I am eagerly awaiting the next event,” said Brendan Manley, local tech entrepreneur.

The theme for the panel discussion, “How to raise money for a start-up business,” inspired many in the audience to jump at the chance to hit up the panel during the Q & A.

“We feel that if we build it, they will come,” said Ben Segal, local entrepreneur and Co-Founder, Premex.io. “Having written the technology economic development policy for the city in the late 90s, I see the necessary ingredients—skilled labor, quality universities, lack of congestion/access to a good airport, and quality of life—for thriving business community in the Hamptons. I took the leap to live here full time and commute in for key meetings. Being part of i-hamptons will help me we build my company that will employee many more folks from the Hamptons. ”

But don’t worry, if you missed out, the session was filmed, and a recap will soon be shared on i-hamptons’ community site at facebook.com/i-hamptons. For those who can’t wait for more, mark your calendars now. The next i-hamptons event will be later in the fall, titled “Riptide: Hamptons Sink or Swim,” a Shark Tank-like entrepreneurial pitch-a-thon offering up to $100,000 in seed funding for successful businesses. For more information, and to sign-up to participate for the Riptide event, visit i-hamptons.com.